Bill Hoppe - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres release Prospects Challenge roster

BUFFALO – Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin and center Casey Mittelstadt are among 27 Sabres scheduled to participate in this week’s Prospects Challenge rookie tournament the team will be hosting at HarborCenter.

Some other interesting names on the Sabres’ 27-man roster the team released today include:... Read the full article

Jack Eichel anxious to start season, excited about revamped Sabres

BUFFALO – More than two weeks before training camp starts, around 20 Sabres – from star center Jack Eichel to rookies preparing for the upcoming prospect tournament – are already skating regularly at HarborCenter.

Informal summer skates, of course, are common. Still, having so many guys in town so early – heck, it’s still August – sends a strong message.

“It says you want to be here, right?” Eichel said Monday. “It says you want ... Read the full article

Sabres to open training camp Sept. 13

BUFFALO – The Sabres will open their main training camp Sept. 13, when veterans report for physicals and testing, then hold their first on-ice sessions a day later at HarborCenter, the team announced today.

Sessions are open to the public. A full camp roster and schedule will be released later. The Sabres open their preseason schedule Sept. 17 in Columbus against the Blue Jackets.... Read the full article

Sabres rookie Casey Mittelstadt grateful for dizzying path to NHL

TORONTO – Finally, after two whirlwind years, Casey Mittelstadt can settle down. Barring a disastrous training camp, the slick Sabres prospect will start the season in Buffalo, a place he will likely stay a long time.

“I’m definitely looking forward to that,” Mittelstadt said of remaining with one team. “I think – Green Bay, high school, the ‘U’ – I’ve been back and forth quite a bit.”

Mittelstadt, of course, left out two clubs he ... Read the full article

Jr. Sabres growing under Kevyn Adams’ watch at HarborCenter

BUFFALO – When the Sabres dismissed Kevyn Adams in 2013 following a short run as an assistant coach, he said he kept asking himself the same question.

“How do I make the biggest difference over this next chapter of my career?” Adams would say.

Not surprisingly, Adams had options to stay in hockey. Adams, whose playing days ended in 2008, earned loads of respect carving out an 11-year NHL career, mostly as a fourth-liner with ... Read the full article

Sabres to appear on national TV five times in 2018-19

The Buffalo Sabres will make five appearances on national television in 2018-19, the NHL announced today.

The schedule:

Tuesday, Nov. 13 vs. Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. (NBC Sports Network)

... Read the full article

Young talent helped convince Jeff Skinner to join Sabres

BUFFALO – Having a no-trade clause attached to his six-year, $34.35 million contract meant Jeff Skinner controlled his future. The Sabres’ newest player could veto a deal and wait until the Carolina Hurricanes and his agent found him a new team he liked.

While Skinner denied he turned down any offers before the Sabres materialized, reports and the timing of his trade – high-profile NHL deals rarely transpire in August – suggest otherwise.... Read the full article

Jeff Skinner sees fit with Sabres

While Skinner denied he turned down any offers, reports and the timing of his trade – high-profile NHL deals rarely transpire in August – suggest otherwise.... Read the full article

Jeff Skinner acquisition shows Sabres believe they can win now

Before Thursday’s acquisition of slick winger Jeff Skinner, so many of the Buffalo Sabres’ trades throughout their seemingly endless rebuild focused on the future. Deals would often net them prospects or draft picks, a sign winning wasn’t imminent.

But Sabres general manager Jason Botterill made a different swap to nab the three-time 30-goal scorer from the Carolina Hurricanes. For one of the few times in recent years, the Sabres dealt futures for a proven commodity.... Read the full article

Sabres acquire Jeff Skinner from Hurricanes

The Buffalo Sabres pulled off a rare August trade early tonight, acquiring three-time 30-goal scorer Jeff Skinner from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward prospect Cliff Pu, a second-round pick in 2019 and third- and sixth-round selections in 2020.

The trade for Skinner, who’s entering the final season of his contract, gives the Sabres another proven scorer at wing. The Sabres, the NHL’s lowest-scoring team last season, needed to replace the offense they lost ... Read the full article